Key-opening can.



No. 888,204. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. J. W. NICHOLS. KEY OPENING CAN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1903.

JESSE W. NICHOLS, ()F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

KEY-OPENING CAN Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 11. 1903. Serial No- 166.626.

' Patented Dec. 11, 1906,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEssE W. NICHOLS, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain.

analogous receptacle provided with an integral tearing-stri bounded by weakened lines and the starting portion of which tear ing-strip is integral with thecan-blank wholly within the margins of the latter and so, shaped and constructed as to enable it to be.

started without being provided with any special weakened puncture-spot, recesses, or the like. i

To the above ends the invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and

more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and the invention will be readily understood from the following description by reference to the accompanying drawlngs,

forming a part thereof','and in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a seamless can-body embodying the invention. Fig. 2

is a view similar to Fig. I, showing the tearing-strip started. Fig. 3 is a d etail side elevation of the engaging end of a specialformed key adapted for use in conjunction with the tearing-strip embodying the present invention, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the same; Fi 5, an ed eelevation of the-partof thekey s own in ig. ,3, and Fig. 6 a fra mentary cross-sectional view taken throu Y the tongue and adjacent parts transverse before the tongue has been torn out.

Referring to'the drawings, 1 designates as a whole the can-body, which in the present instance is a seamless ordrawn can-body,

but might within the broader scope 'of the invention be an ordinary side-seamed or other form of can. a

2 designates as a whole the applied ea or cover, and 3 designates a tearing-strip, wiiich shown is arranged to extend circumferentially around the side of the can, desirably near one end thereof. The tearing-strip is outlined by two parallel or substantlally par allel weakened lines 4 and 5, and that portion of the tearing-strip which constitutes the starting point or tongue 6 is outlined or de- .ton

fined by a weakened line 7, extending trans-' ent instance isthe side'designated 9; The

lines 4 and .5 are formed b means of scoringdies or in anlyother suitab e or usual manner, while the ines outlining the tongue are formed by means of suitable dies and are preferably weakened to a somewhat greater extent than are the lines 4 and 5 Usually,

however, the outline of the tongue will not be sufficiently distinct or visible after the can is finished and japanned or painted to enable the operator todet'ermine easily the openingoint. Accordin 1y, I provide two indicatlng-points 11 .an 12, preferably taking the form of' embossed stars, which are located contiguous to each end of theline 9, forming the starting side of the ton ue, and the instructions to the operator wi be to apply the ointed end of the key to the can on a directine extending between saidstars.

The 0 eration of opening the can is to apply the ey in the manner described and by striking the handle end thereof with the hand breakthrough the can along the line 9 and depress the portion 13 lyi "contiguous thereto, so that the end of the ey may pass into the can and underneath the tongue crosswise of the latter. Havin thus inserted the key, a partial rotation wil b reason of after the portion 13 has been punched in and its flattened shape pry up and oosen the,

e in readiness to be enga ed by the slo of t e key and wrapped up an tom 03 the usual manner. 7

As a further feature of improvement I provide a weakened line 14, extending parallel with the line 4 and at a distance therefrom slightly greater than the thickness of the flattened key, the purpose of this latter weakbenddown more easily under the unching action of the key when applied, as ereinbefore described, The line, l4obviously, therefore, need not be of a length greater than the straight side portion 9 of the tongue; but in practice it is proposed to provide a plurality of starting-tongues locate at intervals apart around thecan in the same tearing-strip, as

ened line being to .permit the portion 13 to in the embodiment of the invention herein the expense of an additional operation for forming a guide-groove forthe purpose of di tive.

and the other edge the prywhich 'ceptacle having a tearing-strip de recting a cutting-tool, such as shown and described in patent to Wells, No. 725,384, or the expense of an additional operation in forminga weakened puncture-spot, such as shownand described in'my prior application Serial No. 153,514, andl avoid the possibility of making the can defective by overweak ening the puncture-spot.

- While I have found that in practice a flattened key operates most expeditiously and conveniently for opening a can embodying myp'resent invention, yet it is notto be understood thatthe use of such key'is impera- On' the contra any ordinary key provided with the usua tongue-engaging slot may be used, provided the endthereof is not so blunt or broad a'sto prevent it from being used tobreak through and depress the portion '13 along the line 9 of the tongue. The form of key shown herein, however, possesses special utility when used in combination with the present invention by reason of the fact thatthe fiat'tenedend thereof operates to pry up'and loosen the tongue when thekey is simply rotated on its longitudinal axis, one edge of the key forming the fulcrum tongue. 2

the preferred embodiment of the invention, yet it will be understood that the details may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim as my invention 1. A can or analogous metal acking-refined therein by weakened lines, said tearing-strip having an integraltdngue defined by a weakened line, which latter line is weakened to an extent greater than that of the lines of the tearing-strip and suficient to provide for easy rupture of the can by applying a blunt instrument to the can wall alon ide said weakened tongue portion and app ying pres starts the sure in a direction substantially perpendicular to the wall, whereby a portion of the wall of the can is fotrced in and separated from the tongue for starting the latter.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a keyopening can having a tearing-strip bounded by two generally parallel weakened lines, and atongue formed between said weakened lines and defined by the weakened line Weakends whereof merge into said parallel weakened lines, saidtonguedefining line being weakened to a greater extent than the remainder of the tearing-strip and sufficient to enable the Wall of the can to be easily rup tured without cutting by applying a blunt instrument to the can-wall alongside said weakened tongue and forcing the tool-engaged portion of the wall inwardly.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a keyopening can having a tearing-strip bounded by two generally parallel weakened lines, a tongue formed between said weakened lines by a defining weakened line merging into the arallel lines and weakened to an extent sufficient to afford easy rupture of the wall ofv the can along said'line'without cutting, and an auxiliary weakened line extending along one side of the tongue but spaced at a slight distance therefrom, substantially as described.

5. As -a new article ofmanufacture, a-key: opening can having a tearing-strip bounded by two generally parallel weakened lines, a

tongue defined by a weakened line extending between said parallel lines, said tongue-defining line being weakened tov an extent greater than the parallel lines and sufficient toinsure easy rupture of thewall of the can along said line by the use of a blunt punch, and'one or more indicating-marks iormedin' the wall of the can, contiguous to the tongue for indicating the point of application of the punch. I

JESSE W. NICHOLS. Witnesses:

ALBERT HJGnAvEs, FREDERICK C. Goonwm. 

